Another chapter was written in Woodend Golf Club’s proud 120-year-old history on Sunday.
“I’m estatic … to win three pennants on the same day has never happened in our club before,” president Barney Hearnden said after a pulsating day of Dalhousie District Golf Association finals played at Broadford.
“And this time we’ve won the really big one (Division One Scratch). It’s 40 years since Woodend last landed this one.”
Other nearby clubs didn’t miss out either.
Lancefield won the Division 2 Scratch Final to earn promotion to division one next season, and Trentham captured the Handicap Division 4 pennant with a clean sweep victory against Hidden Valley.
From 9am onwards, in fine conditions for golf, intrepid players battled for superiority around the Broadford course.
“Congratulations to all the winners and to all players for making the finals, and thanks to the Dalhousie committee for running the day and to Broadford for hosting everyone,” DDGA president Mary Campbell said at the after-match presentations.
For Woodend, a triple pennant success, with three wins from three starters (teams of five players) in the finals was the ultimate aim.
Hearnden, who has been witnessing a growth in membership and sponsors, plus significant course improvements in the past few months, thinks the pennant treble will give the club a further kick along
Not surprisingly, there were prolonged celebrations at Woodend on Sunday evening. Congratulations flowed in from various quarters.
Some had stayed up late watching the absorbing coverage of the 2022 election vote count on Saturday night, with Labor coming to power federally after nine years on the Opposition benches; then some even watched the American PGA coverage as well.
ALL THE SCORES
Scores in the pennant matches won by Woodend, Lancefield and Trentham were:
# SCRATCH Division 1: Woodend 3.5 d Euroa 1.5.
Individual scores – Seamus Whelan (W) d Ed Carracher 3/1; Dan Payne d Matt Mills 3/2; Andrew Davies square with Len McMartin; Danny Bellchambers d Mick Corridin 1up; Matt Payne d , Josh Bell 2up.
# Restricted Handicap (Div. 2): Woodend 4 d Hidden Valley 1. Neville Bottams d J. Gomez 2/1, Bruce Clark d B.Bell 2/1, Grant Davies d D. Fowler 1up; Murray Bradley lost to T. Dunne 4/2, Trevor Bowen d M. Thomson 3-2.
# Handicap Division 4: Woodend d Hidden Valley 4/1. Ben Thompson lost to T. Pegler 3/2, Jake Taylor d S. Mountjoy 1up; Myles Moxley d G. Drain 7/6, Wayne Kerena d S.Broomfield 2up.
# SCRATCH Division 2: Lancefield 4.5 d Seymour 0,5. Trevor Lambert d square Mick Prorock, Hugh Parks d Ian Richardson 2/1, Dennis Davenport d Luke Merredith 2up, Todd Lambert d Dave Hamilton 3/2, Mason Memmolo d Tony Salmon 3/1.
# Restricted Handicap (Div, 2): Trentham d Euroa 5/0. Simon Overden d Dale McIntosh 2/1, Leif Lowden-Skovden d Rich Eddy 3/2, Brent Lehney d Paddy McCarthy 1up, Sholto Arnold d Peter McMahon 1up, Peter Jaeger d Frank Connor 6/5.
In other pennant handicap finals, Avenel d Whittlesea 3-2 in division 1, Marysville d Alexandra 3-2 in division 2, and Broadford d Kilmore 4/1 in division 3.
